lostinavalon

Check out the Victorian Letter Writers Guild --- an exclusive women-only group for pen friends and group exchanges. Link is above.

I am a 45 year old wife of 26 years and mother of 9, 7 still at home. I have 4 boys and 5 girls aged 24 down to 11, and three baby grandchildren! My husband and I homeschool our kids, a job that is mainly mine since he works full time as a software programmer. My daughter is Swap-Bot member, lifeinrosyhues. We spend a lot of time at home and have a pretty relaxing life!

I love studying History and English literature, and I enjoy reading historical fiction and most nonfiction. I also like sewing and all kinds of crafting. I love anything tea-related and pink, cottage, shabby chic styles. I love Steampunk, botanicals, and dolls. My favorite time periods are the Regency, Victorian and Edwardian eras. My favorite artist is the painter, Johannes Vermeer.

Seasonal note: I don't celebrate Halloween, Valentine's Day, or Easter. Please don't send items in these themes.

I'd LOVE to have anything from or about Israel.

I LOVE friendship bracelets! I've worn them since the 3rd grade and will as long as I live!

I'd LOVE to have some Steampunk or CIRCUS themed ephemera and supplies.

My heritage is French Canadian (Quebec) and New England---would love recipes, history, ephemera, photos, anecdotes, books, anything related to these areas.

Things I Love:

Kewpie dolls

circus

strawberries

postage stamps (especially UK)

Amish anything

postcards

England

France

Israel

birds

frozen Charlotte

dolls

Quebec

New England

Victorian

stickers (no school/award related)

maps

stationery

Arkansas

Oklahoma

Oregon

I love doing most crafts! My favorite themes are Circus, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian era art, Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, Kate Greenaway, vintage styles, shabby chic, cottage style, children, flowers, and places in Europe like England or Paris. I love to do paper crafts and anything "girly". I love to do altered art and would like to learn to paint roses and other flowers.

Pink and green, pink and brown, pink alone :)

If you're sending postcards, I love anything in the themes above, but especially ones featuring the place you live with info on the back. I love to hear about people: how they live, what they do on an average day. Today I received two postcards: one from a guy in Ireland who told me about his drive to work in a sawmill and that his job is to sweep up; and one from a woman in Maine who sent a card featuring a local lake. She told me she and her family like to go get ice cream at a nearby shop. These kinds of simple life things are so interesting to me!

Paperbackswap.com Wishlist

I'm a BookCrosser...are you? Let me know! I'm currently enjoying books set in the Tudor/Victorian/Edwardian ages of England and America's Gilded Age, as well as nonfiction about these subjects. My favorite genre is Classics---anything 1940 or so and earlier. I've especially enjoyed work by Henry David Thoreau, Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Wilkie Collins, Louisa May Alcott. and the Brontes. I enjoy some Christian fiction, some nonfiction, and art books. I like non-murder cozy mysteries but have a hard time finding them. I love to read about art history.

I DON'T read romance novels, sci-fi, murder mysteries, anything involving graphic violence, sex, or any sort of negativity toward children.

**Please DON'T send:

some holiday related items, (see above) loose glitter or confetti sprinkled in the envelope, quotes, school/awards stickers, advertisements (sometimes these come on bookmarks or postcards)

I won't use stamped images. I might use home computer-printed images but only if they are good quality and relate to my profile likes.

I won't use skulls, dead stuff, zombies, tarot/magic, angry/scary/rude humor, etc. In fact, I'll just throw those things away without reswapping them.

I won't use those kids craft foam stickers. I don't mind kid-type stickers for decorating envelopes, but not the die-cut foam ones used in kids projects.